It all started on a night train…

Alright, I know it has been FAR too long since I have “blogged” (is that even a verb? My spell check apparently thinks so…). SO, in a feeble attempt to make up for it, I will make an extra long entry this time (this is why I was afraid to start blogging in the first place… here I am talking to myself in cyber space for all the world to read. Who am I kidding, mom and dad, I know you’re the only real people that read this anyway ☺)
SO. Where to begin? About four weeks ago, Kaitlin and I decided to embark on a German adventure for our fall break. We finally got all the travel plans set about a week before we left town; the final itinerary including stops in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, and Amsterdam.

MUNICH

And so it began, in an overcrowded second class compartment on the night train from Paris to Munich two Fridays ago, the 24th of October. We arrived in Munich about 9:30 AM, quickly found our hostel, and set out to see the city. I remember feeling like I was really exploring a new place for the first time while we walked around Munich that day. I started to realize that all the incredible things about Paris had somehow managed to become routine, normal, and seemingly average after only living here for a short five weeks! I am making a conscious effort now to keep my eyes wide open … I walk new routs to school whenever possible, and try to never stop exploring.

But back to Munich. We walked around Marien Platz and saw the famous clock tower before climbing up the bell tower at St. Peters. From there, we were at eye level with the clock tower and at 11am the four hundred year old clock did its thing and we watched from the neighboring tower as foot traffic came to a standstill in the square down below. We spent the rest of the morning on the edge of the English Garden and wandering around the “Residenz” area. Come late afternoon, we were getting pretty hungry (and maybe a bit thirsty?) and we set off to find the Hofborau Haus – the famous beer garden in the middle of Munich.

One of my favorite stories from the trip: The place was packed, but we finally found what looked like two empty places at a table of old men decked out in red and white getting ready to see the soccer match in Munich later that evening. We asked if the seats were free, they smiled as they invited us to sit down. We hadn’t been at their table for more than thirty seconds before two MORE old men slid in next to us, effectively trapping us in the middle of a table of six intoxicated German soccer fans. Naturally, hilarity ensued. While Kaitlin and I struggled to finish a liter of beer each, these guys managed to down TWO a piece – meanwhile snapping photos of themselves with their arms around us… One guy even gave me his hat! And since they didn’t speak any English, we all had to rely on various caveman-like grunts and gestures to get any kind of a point across. But mostly, we just laughed.